The present invention relates generally to articles of footwear, and in particular to a sole assembly including a central support structure for an article of footwear.
Articles of footwear generally include two primary elements: an upper and a sole assembly. The upper may be formed from a variety of materials that are stitched or adhesively bonded together to form a void within the footwear for comfortably and securely receiving a foot. The sole assembly is secured to a lower portion of the upper and is generally positioned between the foot and the ground. In many articles of footwear, including athletic footwear styles, the sole assembly often incorporates an insole, a midsole, and/or an outsole. The sole assembly can also simply incorporate an outsole.
Depending on the type of article of footwear provided, various types of sole assemblies can be selected having different amounts of support, cushioning, stability, stiffness, and flexibility. Generally, providing a sole assembly having one characteristic can limit the amount of another characteristic that can be simultaneously provided. For example, a sole assembly having a high amount of support or stability may have a low amount of flexibility. Similarly, a sole assembly with a high amount of cushioning may not be able to also provide a high amount of stiffness.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a sole assembly for an article of footwear that provides support and stiffness to portions of the article and also provides flexibility to other portions of the article.